CTnow

As a columnist, Ehrlich can no longer be bothered with the facts

12:00 PM EDT, August 8, 2012

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For his many years of public service,Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.has rightfully earned the respect of Maryanders. But as a columnist whose byline now includes the tag "Maryland chairman for the Romney presidential campaign," he's put in jeopardy any semblance of journalistic independence he may have had.

For example, in his litany of purported differences between Obama-led liberals and tea party- inspired conservatives, Mr. Ehrlich now attributes the birth of Transportation Security Administration to leftists, even though a simple check of the facts would indicate otherwise ("The left and right view the world in predictable ways," Aug. 5),

The key sponsor to the TSA's birth was a Republican congressman, Donald Young. And without any veto or political haggling, its birth was quickly authorized by a Republican president,George W. Bush.

The TSA has become an increasing annoyance in our daily lives, in part due to its expense and its encroachment on our privacy. But while one may agree with Mr. Ehrlich's concerns about the agency's intrusive nature, that does not allow him to re-imagine TSA's history.

As a former governor and political commentator, Mr. Ehrlich must have known that the TSA owes its origins to two well respected Republican conservatives. As campaign chairman for a presidential candidate, however, Mr. Ehrlich's disgust with President Obama is so intense that he no longer can be bothered with the facts.